I had thought being out in the common room with everyone would help.I had thought noise and laughter and the usual Fallen Lords chaos might distract him, might pull him out of his own head long enough to breathe.
But Ender didn’t breathe.
He paced.
He leaned.
He watched the front windows like he was waiting for someone to pull up and give him an excuse.
He’d checked his phone five times in ten minutes.Put it back in his pocket.Pulled it out again.Like the screen might suddenly decide to show him what he wanted.
Like the world might finally decide to move fast enough.
It didn’t.
So he stood at the front door, shoulders broad, arms crossed, gaze fixed through the glass like he could stare the road into giving him answers.
I sat on the couch with my mom and Alice, while Cora and Brinks were in the recliner.
Mom had her legs tucked up under her, leaning slightly toward me.Alice was sprawled on the other end with the remote in hand, half-watching whatever trashy show she’d put on the TV.
I kept glancing at Ender.Trying not to, but failing miserably.
“He’ll be okay, honey.”
I looked at my mom.I didn’t know she was watching me watch Ender.“Uh, what?”I asked, like I hadn’t been caught.
Mom patted my hand.“I know you think your dad and I are blind, but we know.”
“You know?”My voice cracked a little.
“You’ve been stuck to Ender since you came back, Clove.”
“Have I?”I asked, too quickly, too innocent, like I wasn’t sitting there with my heart doing backflips every time Ender glanced my way.
Alice pointed the remote at the TV and muted it.“Girl,” she said.
I pointed a finger at my chest.“Me girl?”
Alice laughed.“Yes, you girl who like boy over there.”She pointed at Ender, who was leaning against the front door, looking out.
“Alice,” I hissed, and batted her hand down.
Alice laughed.
“She thinks we’re embarrassing,” Mom said.
“Been told that my whole life,” Alice said.“It has yet to affect me.”
My cheeks heated, and I glanced at Ender.
He would have had to have been deaf to not hear us.
Mom patted my knee.“We’re just saying we know and it’s okay.”
“It’s more than okay,” Alice said.“We don’t have to add anyone new to the fold.I like it.Maybe we can match up all of the other kids.”
“No!”Arlo and Fox hollered from over by the pool table.